Later.
After the uproar over Profiler Hanryang that Monday, time seemed to fly.
Maybe it was because the entire country was making such a fuss.
Naturally, the drama's popularity didn't fade.
If anything, it exploded even more.
Not just the media, but public opinion as well, was in a frenzy.
Even though there were still several days left before Episode 3 aired, the shocking 23% viewership rating instantly became a massive topic. One discussion led to another.
On social media, the word Hanryang kept appearing nonstop.
On blogs and online communities, posts related to Hanryang dominated the most popular sections.
YouTube was overflowing with content.
[Deep Analysis of Profiler Hanryang Episode 1! Did You Catch This Clue??!! | DramaManTV]
Countless YouTubers covered Profiler Hanryang through reviews and analysis videos.
That was simply how trends worked.
When a hit drama caused a sensation, everything else got swept along with it.
Whether it was fashion or broadcasting, the principle was the same. Only the content changed.
The public always craved a new stimulus.
And this time, that stimulus was Profiler Hanryang.
So naturally, the popularity of Assistant Manager Park skyrocketed.
These days, viewers had discerning eyes.
A pretty face alone was no longer enough.
Acting, atmosphere, and story all mattered.
Of course, good visuals helped too.
And Kang Woojin had all of those.
Even if none of them could be called the absolute best on their own, he met every standard.
More than anything—
Assistant Manager Park's acting is seriously immersive… I watched it on TV and then replayed it on YouTube...
In terms of acting, rookie Kang Woojin, who played Assistant Manager Park, was genuinely outstanding.
Even the harshest viewers praised him.
Honestly lol, I'm not even a huge fan of Park Eunmi dramas, but Assistant Manager Park was such a crazy good casting choice lol
Oddly enough, the people enjoying this situation the most were not Kang Woojin himself, but the people around him who knew him personally.
Kim Daeyoung was one of them.
He would soon be joining Woojin's former company.
"Look at this idiot. What? Kang Woojin's acting looks awkward? Are you insane? You leave a hate comment like that and call yourself human? Dislike."
Kim Daeyoung's mornings now started with searching Kang Woojin's name.
Naturally, the same went for his three close friends.
"These tabloids are spreading more nonsense. Kang Woojin is Korean-Japanese mixed? What a joke. He's pure Korean. Korea, fighting!"
The three of them seemed even happier than Kang Woojin himself.
Then Kim Daeyoung went to BW Entertainment's homepage.
He was curious whether anything new had been uploaded.
It was faster than waiting for Woojin to reply.
Then—
"What?"
Kim Daeyoung found something.
"…A job posting?"
BW Entertainment had posted a notice saying they were hiring new employees.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin's younger sister, Kang Hyuna, was spending her days in a similar way.
"Wow! There's seriously so much information about him online now!"
The moment she woke up in the morning, she got online.
And naturally, she searched for her oppa.
"He even started using social media when he never used to before."
It made sense.
Until just a few days ago, there had been almost no news about her oppa at all.
But now the internet was full of him.
On YouTube, community forums, and every other platform, Kang Woojin's name kept popping up.
Kang Hyuna felt a strange mix of emotions.
It was thrilling.
And somehow surreal.
"Ugh! What is this photo? Why does he look so serious?"
On top of that, Hyuna's friends had become fans of Kang Woojin too after watching Profiler Hanryang.
So whenever they met up, the conversation always drifted back to Woojin.
"Hyuna! Woojin oppa updated his social media!"
"I saw it too. Ugh, it's so cringey."
"Why? He looks cool. Isn't Woojin oppa doing any new activities? There's nothing on the official site or his socials."
"I don't know either. He's not replying to my messages."
Right then, one of her friends clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, right! A fan club! Woojin oppa still doesn't have an official fan club, right? Should we make one? Hyuna should be the president."
Kang Hyuna stared blankly for a moment.
Then, for some reason, she stroked her chin.
"That… actually doesn't sound bad."
From around then on, bits of information started surfacing online.
What? LOL I was seriously shocked. Kang Woojin is acting now? Back in high school he had zero interest in acting LOL
Old acquaintances Kang Woojin himself had long forgotten began appearing one by one.
Then, two days later.
Wednesday the 20th.
Around lunchtime, Kang Woojin was spotted at an upscale Korean restaurant near Sinsa Station.
Several people sat around a long table, each with a glass in front of them.
Kang Woojin, wearing a black fleece jacket, was there with Choi Sunggeon.
Sitting across from them were—
"Thanks for making time for this, Woojin. You must be really busy."
Four people.
One of them was a plump woman with messy hair and a strong presence.
She looked to be in her mid-forties.
It was Director Kim Dohui.
The other three were production staff from the company producing the film Drug Dealer.
In other words, this meeting was about the film Drug Dealer.
"Hello, Director. Nice to meet you."
Director Kim Dohui, seated across from him, looked slightly surprised by Woojin's unusually emotionless greeting.
"No, I saw a lot of you at the short film festival, Woojin. Of course, it was only from afar. But you're much calmer than I expected."
"I tend to be that way."
"Your voice is very low too. At the festival, I thought it sounded a little flat, but in person it's even quieter than I expected."
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon put on a business smile.
"Our Woojin is usually very calm. But when he acts, he turns into a completely different person."
"Yes, CEO Choi. I watched The Private Investigator. Meeting Kang Woojin in person is even more surprising. Kim Ryujin was a little sloppy and slightly cheeky, and more recently Assistant Manager Park was literally a psychopath with antisocial traits, but the real Kang Woojin is pure seriousness. It's rare to see an actor with such a wide acting spectrum."
"Haha, right? Any color suits him. The same goes for his acting."
"..."
Director Kim Dohui stared intently at Kang Woojin's face, then slowly nodded.
Looking more closely, he gives off a deep, intense impression. That must be his natural aura.
Kang Woojin kept a blank expression, but inwardly he smirked.
Why is she staring at me like that? This isn't a staring contest...
Seeing Woojin like that, Director Kim Dohui seemed even more convinced and let out a small sigh.
"Hoo. Seeing you in person, the synchronicity is even stronger. It just makes me want you more, Woojin."
It was Kang Woojin who asked the question.
"What kind of synchronicity do you mean?"
"...To be honest, I'll explain the situation with the film Drug Dealer. As you know, we're already filming. Casting was finished, and until recently there weren't any major problems. But recently, an issue came up with Oh Junwoo."
"He got into a traffic accident?"
At that, Choi Sunggeon answered instead.
"I think he saw the article. About Oh Junwoo's traffic accident."
Director Kim Dohui nodded.
"That's right. His right arm was fractured in the accident. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."
"Because of Oh Junwoo's accident, he had no choice but to step down. He was supposed to play the cameo role."
"You could call it a cameo, but it's a very important role. Honestly, both the production staff and I were shocked. Then by chance I ended up at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, and I saw Woojin there. To be more precise, I saw Woojin speaking fluent Japanese, and it felt like a revelation."
When his name came up, Kang Woojin answered in a low voice.
"Yes, that cameo role has quite a few Japanese lines."
Director Kim Dohui gave a bitter smile.
"You read the script? Thank you. The cameo role needs someone who can connect Korea and Japan, and someone fluent in both Korean and Japanese."
Hearing that, Kang Woojin began to understand the situation.
"I understand the situation."
"Ah, but it wasn't just your Japanese that impressed us. Your acting was incredible. No, it was the best. This cameo role has to portray both drug addiction and the charisma of a boss, so the acting difficulty is quite high. If you look closely, there's really a lot to prepare."
"..."
"But honestly, the more I say it out loud, the more impossible it sounds. Setting aside the Japanese, the role itself feels a little improvised. On top of that, there isn't much time left."
"When are you planning to film the cameo scenes?"
"...If we delay it all the way to the final edit, maybe over a month. But because so many characters are involved, we'd need to start filming within three weeks."
The moment he heard that, Choi Sunggeon lightly shook his head as if to say it was impossible.
"Three weeks? That sounds difficult. Especially if he's being thrown into a filming set out of nowhere."
Director Kim Dohui's bitter smile deepened, as if she didn't believe it herself.
"Exactly. So I was thinking of removing the Japan-related elements and changing the setting, but if I do that, the charm of the cameo weakens. I had no choice. On top of that, Woojin's popularity is surging right now."
Then the production manager seated beside her let out a long sigh.
"Director, I think it would be better to cut that role."
"Yes, I think so too. We may need to stop filming and revise the script first."
"Director."
At that moment, Kang Woojin's firm voice cut through the air.
"I think I can do it."
Everyone except Woojin widened their eyes.
But to Woojin, it felt more like this—
Three weeks? That's way too long. Give me three days and I can do it.
Three weeks was more than enough.
If they asked, he could start today.
The slot was open.
Even if he was only stepping in temporarily, it didn't matter.
Most actors would have been uneasy, but Kang Woojin—who had gone through worse situations in the design industry—didn't care at all.
So what if it's a stopgap role? Once I act it, it becomes mine.
What if he stripped away all the annoying concerns and overthinking?
Then it would actually be stupid to turn down this role in Drug Dealer.
It was a B+ grade role with Japanese lines.
The decision was easy.
It was a cameo, so the filming period would be short.
That wasn't a problem either.
It's not like I can always get A or S grades. So this is the best option.
And a B+ grade could rise too.
In the end, Kang Woojin simply said this—
"Director, I'll do the cameo."
He had decided to take the role in Drug Dealer.
Director Kim Dohui and the production staff were stunned.
But Choi Sunggeon, already used to Woojin's bizarre instincts, thought to himself,
Woojin must have sensed something special in this Drug Dealer role. His crazy instincts are kicking in again.
Then, with a playful smile, he asked Director Kim Dohui directly:
"Director, how much are you thinking of giving Woojin as the appearance fee for this role? Of course, taking into account the fact that he'd be jumping in under such difficult circumstances."
And just like that—
The appearance fee negotiation began.
The next morning.
BW Entertainment.
On the 21st, one day before filming for the YouTube variety show Sports Day as part of the promotional schedule for Profiler Hanryang, the entire office was busy.
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon and Kang Woojin's team walked in.
Jang Suhwan and Han Yejung headed toward the publicity team.
Meanwhile, Choi Sunggeon, looking tired, muttered:
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
Then he headed straight for the CEO's office.
Woojin was nowhere to be seen, so it seemed he had gone to the restroom.
The moment Choi Sunggeon opened the office door—
"CEO!"
The operations team leader hurried over.
"There are a few issues. I submitted the report already, but I'll just tell you the urgent ones right away. First, the hiring for the new employee."
"Mm, go on."
"We've got quite a lot of applicants. When would you like to conduct interviews?"
"Hmm, if possible, I want to be there too. How about closing the posting next week, then scheduling the interviews after that? I'll check Woojin's schedule and give you the exact timing."
"Yes, yes. We also got a request to renew Hyeyeon's clothing brand modeling contract."
"She already agreed to extend it, but tell them we want to keep the same terms and ask them to raise the contract fee."
"Yes, understood!"
The team leader answered quickly, then pointed to the stack of documents piled on the desk inside the office.
"These are projects related to Woojin. We got more scripts yesterday. Some are web dramas, and the genres are pretty interesting."
"Well, that could be true."
"But."
Suddenly, the operations team leader picked up two scripts from the pile.
His expression turned meaningful.
"These two are pretty big."
"Big? What are they? Let's see—who's the writer?"
"One of them is by Writer Lee Wolsun."
Just as Choi Sunggeon was about to unfold the stack of papers, he froze and widened his eyes.
"Lee Wolsun? She sent a script?"
"Yes, yes. The broadcaster is KBC. You know Seo Gyeongsu there, right?"
"CP Seo? Ah, that guy who looks like a raccoon."
"That's right. CP Seo called, and he sounded thrilled from the start. He said they succeeded in bringing in Lee Wolsun."
"...Lee Wolsun took an interest in Woojin. That's huge. Imagine the effect if the writer lineup changes from Park Eunmi to Lee Wolsun."
"The media would go crazy. Especially now, when Woojin's popularity is surging because of Assistant Manager Park."
Choi Sunggeon stroked his chin, his smile deepening.
"I can understand why that jealous Lee Wolsun would take interest in Woojin. She must be conscious of Park Eunmi. But it's still a little surprising. Lee Wolsun is famous for refusing to use rookies unless she absolutely has to."
Still, it was good news.
No—
it was worth celebrating.
Choi Sunggeon placed Lee Wolsun's script aside and pointed at the other stack.
"What about the next one?"
"Ah, the remaining script is below Lee Wolsun's level. It was written by Park Eunmi's assistant writer."
"Ah, that's a little tricky."
"Isn't it? Since they're connected, it doesn't feel right to ignore it completely. Plus, it's a short drama series."
"Huh, a short drama? Tsk. If it's a short series written by an assistant writer, then the current Woojin absolutely shouldn't do it. But if Park Eunmi is involved, then it gets a little ambiguous."
"But the fortunate thing is that this script came from Netflix's production team."
"Netflix? Why did the conversation suddenly jump there?"
"It won a competition."
"Oh, really? Ah, I think I heard something about that. Netflix is doing a short drama series project, right?"
"Yes, exactly."
After tying his hair back, Choi Sunggeon let out a small sigh.
"Hmm, but still, a short drama series is a bit... Looking at Woojin's schedule, we'd either have to reject both or choose only one. And both are in the same genre too. Romantic comedy. Why do they both have to be romantic comedies?"
"In my opinion, Writer Lee Wolsun's project is clearly better. Both as a drama and for Woojin's future."
"Of course."
Right then—
Swoosh.
Kang Woojin, back from the restroom and wearing a cap and zip-up hoodie, entered the office.
As soon as he came in, the team leader stepped out.
Choi Sunggeon handed the two scripts to Woojin, who had just sat down in front of the desk.
"Woojin, this is sudden, but I need you to look these over. We got additional romantic comedy scripts."
"Yes, these two?"
"Yeah. Since Drug Dealer is confirmed now, take a look at these."
Flip.
With an indifferent face, Woojin immediately opened Writer Lee Wolsun's script.
At the same time, Choi Sunggeon began explaining everything the operations team leader had told him.
He went through the circumstances surrounding both writers and laid out the situation clearly.
Kang Woojin paused for a moment while listening, but his attention seemed fixed.
Then Choi Sunggeon continued.
"Hmm, there's quite a bit of overlap. Both are romantic comedies. Everyone knows we should choose Lee Wolsun, but it's hard to completely brush Park Eunmi aside too. It's a bit of a headache, but still."
"No, it's not that difficult."
"...What?"
Kang Woojin calmly pointed with his index finger at one of the two scripts.
"I'll do this one."
It was the short drama script written by Park Eunmi's assistant.